Life Studies
by Juumanjii
Summary: As a new lesson is added to the Hogwarts curriculum, could marriage and babies be on the cards for the 7th year students. June 2016 - under going a full revamp. The brand new chapter 3 is now up. Chapter 4 to be posted 23/06/16
1. Chapter 1

A/N - This is my first HP fic and although I have a plot kind figured out, I'm not entirely sure how it will pan out or how to end this story. It will be multi chaptered so I can worry about that at a later date. So read and enjoy. Some of the characters in the books and the films that were killed off, will be making appearences here and they are very much alive.

I also want to thank all the people who have followed, favourited and reviewed this story before its republish. I admire your patience in me and your love is like ice cream on a hot summers day.

Chapter 1 - A Red Blur Hurtling It's Way To The Scottish Highlands.

It was Wednesday, September 1st and a refreshing change coming back to Hogwarts and knowing that danger wasn't lurking around every corner, or hidden in every nook and cranny. But for some they had decided to not come back and instead chose to pursue a career. Including Harry and Ron who had accepted offers of internships in the auror office in the Ministry.

For some it was their first time on the Hogwarts Express and for the rest it was just another journey to back to the historical castle they all knew as school and home for the majority of the year. As per their letter both heads were to carry on the tradition and spend the majority of the train ride in the heads compartment. Little did head girl, Hermione Granger know she would be sharing some of the nine hour journey with Draco Malfoy.

Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Dean and Neville ambled onto the train with the luggage in tow and found an empty compartment. They quickly entered and took their seat. Hermione, sat by the window, just stared onto the platform, thinking about the events of the last twenty or so months. Malfoy letting the Death Eaters into the castle, the entire school year she spent running up and down the country with Harry and Ron looking for horcruxes, the battle at the school that lost a lot of her friends their lives. Absent-mindedly she twiddled the necklace her parents had bought for her before she wiped their memories and sent them to Australia for their safety, before she was brought out of her reverie by Ginny saying her name.

"Hermione, Hermione, HERMIONE!"

"What, oh yeah, we're there already, that was quick." Hermione piped up, looking out of the window for any sign of the famous castle.

"Ermmm Hermione we've not long left Kings Cross, but don't you need to be heading down to the heads compartment and meet the head boy."

"I guess you're right Gin, I'm so sorry I haven't said a word to you since we boarded the train, I was just thinking about everyone not coming back." She said as she ruffled through her bag, she found the shiny gold badge with the red 'H' in the middle and pinned it onto her jacket for safe keeping.

"I'll try and come back later on for the last bit of the ride, if not I'll just pop in when I can." She said with a smile she gathered her things and turned and walked out of the door, letting it slide shut behind her."

"I really worry about her lately, she doesn't seem the same. You know she broke it off with Ron not long after they got together." Ginny said to Neville and Luna who weren't listening, but were staring into each others eyes.

"I really wish Harry had decided to come back as well, or I wouldn't have to put up with another 8 1/2 hours of this," she grumbled to herself.

"You could always join our game of exploding snap," Dean said wiggling his eyebrows her way.

Hermione made her way through the now empty train corridors to the head of the magnificent train, where it housed the heads compartment. She had heard many rumours over the year about the heads part of the train, but after the shenanigans her, Ron and Harry got up to, the year she took out and the war, she never thought she would be allowed back to school much less being offered the role of head girl as well. She opened the door and found many of the rumours to be true. It was the width and possibly with a touch of magic, wider that then train, and about half a carriage in length. The Hogwarts crest was painted onto the ceiling with each corner the colours of each house. As she had a good look around, she found that the room was empty so she decided to take a seat to the right of the door. She plucked her current favourite book out of her bag and stared at the cover for a few seconds, before turning to the recently folded page to continue reading.

About fifteen pages in, she noticed that the door had slid open, but she didn't bother to lift her head to see who had invaded the the peace that she was secretly loving. She read another page, then wondered why her intruder hadn't bothered to say anything. She lifted her head and the first thing that caught her eye was the silver badge with the green 'H' pinned to the chest of what was obviously a Slytherin. She didn't even have to lift her head any further up to know that, that badge belonged to Draco Malfoy. Her stomach dropped but knew that Headmistress McGonagall must have her reasons for making Malfoy head boy.

"Umm hi Granger," he muttered to her.

Hermione noted the page number and closed her book. She lifted her head and studied his face for a few seconds and did well to hide the beaming smile that nearly plastered her face. To say he looked ill and sullen in his sixth year when he was under the control of Voldemort, he looked like he had just stepped out of a chippendales ad, she thought to herself. His face had filled out nicely, his skin was still pale but had a glow to it. Her eyes turned to his lips as they curled upwards into that cocky smirk that she hated that she had come to miss. She couldn't deny that he was attractive, even more so now the war had ended and he was free.

"Um Granger, do you want to stop staring at me before you fill the carriage with drool?" He started, making her jump.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Um you look good. How have you been? Do you know who any of the prefects are? Do we really have to have to share quarters? If so do we have separate bathrooms?" She garbled all at once, without pausing for breath.

"Thanks, not bad. Not a clue. Yes and I'm not sure" he replied smoothly.

"Are you always this flustered around guys or it just me?" He inquired smugly.

She blushed beetroot red but it soon vanished when the pair of them heard "DRAKEY" being shouted down the corridors by the pug faced Pansy Parkinson.

"I'm not here" as he dived behind the two benches in the middle of the room.

All too soon the door slide open and Pansy stuck her overly made up face into room.

"Oh mud-, errm Granger its you. Have you seen Draco, he said he would be back soon but he's been gone ages." She said with a slight agitation in her voice.

"Nopes, he should have been here ages ago and the prefects will be here soon as well, so if you see him, tell him he needs to be here." Hermione put smoothly and returned to her book, which was still in her hands.

She heard a 'urghhh' as the door slid shut, and she smirked to herself. Never did she ever think she would be lying to Pansy for the benefit of someone other than herself and her friends, much less someone who she had despised since she was eleven years old. There was a hesitation in the air for a few seconds then a muffled "has she gone yet" came from between the benches.

"Yes, she's gone and hopefully she won't be back either. How on earth have you put up with her all these years at school?"

"I think you mean since we were children. My mum and her mum Cassandra have been trying to marry us off since we were in nappies, but it will never happen. I want a wife who has her own career..." But he was cut off by Ginny and Luna walking in with their prefect badges pinned to their chest.

"Hi Hermione, Draco" Luna said airily."

"You kept that quiet, Ginny. How long have you known?"

"When we received our letters saying I could come back if I wanted to and if I should accept would I take one of the prefect roles. So it was a no brainer really. I got an offer to play for the Chudley Cannons and the Wiltshire Wasps but I told them both that I wanted to do my N.E.W.T.s first, they said they would get back to me then." Ginny said with a smile.

The rest of the compartment filled with the rest of the fifth, sixth and seventh year prefects. Draco and Hermione exchanged looks, as they hadn't prepared anything to say to their audience. Hermione was the first to speak.

"Hi. We haven't any sort of plan in place for the journey for you for patrolling the train. I know from previous year that every hour or so a few students would have a quick walk up and down the train, but after the events of the last few months and from what I've heard of last years train journey, I don't think anyone is up for any mischief. So just every couple of hours or so just have a glance in the the five or six compartments either side of the one you're in." She turned to face Draco. "Anything you would like to add?"

"Nope I think you covered everything, um just chill out for the rest of the journey and please know that this year is going to be much better than the others" he mumbled."

Thankfully for Draco the room quickly emptied, leaving him, Hermione and Ginny.

"I'll see you down at the compartment soon. I just want to have a proper heads chat with Malfoy, seeing as we didn't get one before you all came in."

"Alright, see you soon." Ginny emphasised the soon a little too much for Hermiones liking but she left it go as the door clicked closed.

"So you were saying" Hermione started.

As the train steamed past the Scottish border, Ginny got more and more exasperated at the fact that Hermione had still not returned and she had already done two 'patrols'. So she took it upon herself to go and seek out her best friend. Edging closer to the heads compartment, she heard a low throaty chuckle, so she crept up to the small window in the door. Looking in she saw Malfoy sat on the bench in the middle and Hermione sat on one of the benches to her right and they were both laughing. Relieved that Hermione was not in any trouble, she decided it was best not to bother them as they seemed to be getting on, she turned around and muttered to herself 'the times are a changing around here'.

As the sun began to set, and the lighting in the train became much darker Draco suggested that they should get changed into their robes as they were only about half an hour away from the castle.

As the trained slowed down into Hogsmeade station the two heads decided that Hermione would take care of getting the first years into the boats with Hagrid and Draco would get the rest of the school into the Threstral drawn carriages, and then they would take the last one up to the castle together.

Hermione cast a sonorous spell on herself and addressed the crowd.

"First years follow Hagrid towards the boats, you will make your forty minute trip to the castle with him." Hagrid waved to get their attention, not that he needed to of course being eleven feet four inches made you stand out from the crowd pretty easily.

"As for the rest of you follow Malfoy to the carriages, you will go in ascending order second years first and seventh and the returning eighth years will go last.

* * *

The Sorting Ceremony had just finished, slightly earlier than normal, as parents will still wary about sending their precious children to a former war zone, despite the fact that it looked like nothing had ever happened. Professor McGonagall started giving out the usual start of term notices, something usually done by the recently departed Albus Dumbledore.

"Please note that the forest is forbidden to ALL students, Professor Slughorn is staying with us to carry on teaching Potions, Professor Snape is staying in his post of Defence Against the Dark Arts and we would like to welcome Kingsley Shacklebolt as your new Transfiguration teacher and Charlie Weasley as your new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Also please note could all 7th year students stay behind after the feast as you will be updated on some important goings on for this up coming year. Prefects you should have had your new common room passwords mailed to you with your badges, lessons will start on Monday and you will get your timetables mailed to you over the next couple of days. As there is nothing else I need to tell you, let the feast begin."

Sounds of awe and excitement came from the new first years as the tables in the Great Hall became weighted with food.

"I kinda miss Ron trying to tell us something with a face full of food" Ginny said to the few around her.

"I can tell you I don't miss being sprayed with mashed potatoes every few seconds though" Seamus said making everyone around him laugh loudly.

After desert had been cleared away, the fifth year prefects stood at the head of their respective tables, ushering all the students to follow them to their common rooms, whilst the 6th and 7th years, remained in their seats.

"This year," McGonagall began, "we are starting a new class. It is called Life Lessons. It is just as important as all your other classes and is compulsory. Your teacher will be Professor Arista Bumble, but you won't get to meet her until Monday. In your first lesson you will all be paired off and then Professor Bumble will discuss with you all what will happen in this class.

Professor McGonagall then came forward to say.

"You all have tomorrow, Friday and the weekend away from lessons but please make sure you come down for breakfast tomorrow as your timetables with this added lesson will be available to you. Tonight you will be sleeping in your dormitories but I do not recommend unpacking as you will soon be moving into new quarters in your pairs.

"Goodnight, sleep well and I shall see you in the morning when you come to receive your timetables.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger, before you leave I would like a word with you." She paused to let the others file out of the Great Hall before continuing. "I know this probably isn't what you want to hear but you have already been paired up for your Life Lessons class, you were sharing the heads dormitories anyway so there is no need to shift you about now. It is all about interhouse unity and moving forwards into better times after the war. Now I can't tell you anymore than what I already have, but please keep this under wraps and act naturally when you are told you are paired together."

"You have your own wing on the fourth floor to the east, the entrance is behind a portrait of the Mona Lisa next to the giant statue. You can create your own password. Goodnight you two I'm sure that you'll prove to be the example I think you will be."

As they made their way up to their dormitory, they got into a heated discussion about creating a password.

"I think it should be one of our pets' names." Hermione put forward.

"What's wrong with Orion as our password?" Draco whined.

"There's nothing personal about a constellation, well to me anyway. Everyone knows that Draco is one of the most famous constellations ever." Hermione quipped.

Then an idea popped into Dracos head, like a light bulb being switched on.

"What's your horoscope Hermione?" Draco asked her as she blushed at his use of her first name.

"Virgo" she replied with a small smile gracing her lips.

"Mines Gemini, why don't we combine them for Gemigo or Vermini?"

"Thats a really good idea, but I think we should go with Gemigo because Vermini sounds a little too much like vermin and all that reminds me of is Peter Pettigrew disguised as Rons rat Scabbers." She shivered at that thought.

They approached the portrait and gave their newly formed password. After climbing in through the hole behind the portrait, they ignored the vast common room and both headed for the stairs that would lead them to their bedrooms for the year. Hermiones was on the left with a plaque similar to her head girls badge, gold with red writing and Dracos to the right similar to his badge, silver with green writing. They both entered their rooms, an awkward silence hung in the air only interrupted by the doors shutting and the locks clicking.

A/N Thank you for you patience. I know that I started this story over two years ago now, and I have no excuses for not updating until now but I hope you enjoy the new first chapter.

I can't promise that every chapter will have titles like that but I'll try my best to give it a good go.

For anyone wondering what book Hermione is reading in the heads compartment, it's Matched by Ally Condie. If you haven't read it yet, you really should its really good. It's got nothing on our amazing J K Rowlings Harry Potter but its still really good.

Much love mwah x


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: It was a very long and hard day yesterday to get this storys revamp well underway.

Freakywriterchick - you asked a couple of years ago for longer chapters. Your wish is my command, I hope they won't be as far apart as the two years I've currently made you wait. I also really hope you'll still read it :)

Thank you all for your patience, I love you all each individually.

Chapter 2 - A Seemingly Shrinking Stone Room and a Ceiling Made of Faux Stars.

The next morning Hermione woke to the sun shining in through her window and the sound of birds chirping in trees 80 feet lower down than she was. Noting the early time of half 7 she decided to grab her toiletry bag and go and have a nice shower to wake herself up. Ambling out of her room and towards the door in-between hers and Dracos, little did she know that behind the wooden door, a low moan escaped the lips of a certain Draco Malfoy as he lowered himself into a steaming bubble bath.

She opened the bathroom confident that there wouldn't be anyone in there at this time. She turned towards the sinks and started to get her face wash, toothbrush and toothpaste out to arrange them on the basin to the right. She was only alerted to his presence when he made a sharp cough from her left hand side. With a squeak, she started to cover herself with her hands, but when Draco chuckled from the bath, only then did she remember she was in pyjamas.

"What on earth are you doing in here. I wasn't expecting to see you up until around noon?" She garbled, trying to wish away the blush that started on her face, as she realised that he must be naked under those bubbles.

"I didn't sleep well last night and thought I'd come and take a bath. Come and join me if you like." He motioned his hand across the bath and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Umm we only agreed to be civil to each other yesterday on the train, I don't think it would be appropriate for us to start bathing together, even if it is economical." She said feebly.

As she started to leave the room, he called out to her, "I'll let you know when the bathroom is free, I shouldn't be too long."

He heard a small 'thanks' just before the clicked shut.

She almost ran the few steps to her room and flopped on the bed when she came in. How could she be so careless as not to knock first. How could she have not noticed the white blonde, tousled hair in the bath in front of her. How could he just invite her to join him like that. How could she turn him down. She turned over and screamed into her pillow.

Deciding that this year, she wasn't going to be the bookish prude that the rest of the school thought she was, she got up off her bed, exited her room and made her way downstairs. She looked around the common room that she would be sharing with Draco for the rest of the year. She had to admit the green, silver and red decor complimented each other in a way she could never have imagined. Her eyes were immediately draw to the right of the stairs, where a giant portion of the wall had been turned into shelves, most filled with a mix of muggle and magical books. However two shelves remained empty, where she supposed that her and Draco could fill with their own.

She walked the short distance to the small kitchenette where a fresh pot of coffee and two cups had be left for her and Draco.

Draco. Draco. Why do I always think the name Draco, but I only say Malfoy out loud, she thought as her poured herself a generous helping of the boiling liquid.

A faint "the bathrooms free" brought her back to reality.

She made her way back up towards the bathroom, coffee in hand. Making sure the door was locked, she eyed her abandoned toiletry bag on the sink, placed her coffee down alongside it and gathered her shower things.

As she had has settles on the right temperature, she lathered her hair in shampoo and remembered she had left her towel in her room.

"Bugger" she muttered.

"UMMM, DRACO I NEED YOUR HELP!" she yelled over the water.

Draco muttered an unlocking spell, after unsuccessfully trying to just open the door, and came into the room with his hands over his eyes.

"What on earth is going on Granger?"

"Err I need you to go into my room and get my towel. It's on top of my trunk at the foot of my bed."

"You do know that I can't go into your room with the wards and all." He stated idly at her.

"Well can I borrow one of yours then, I'll even wash it and put it back where it belongs, please Draco?" She pleaded.

"Fine but it has to be washed in a certain way. All my towels are 100% Egyptian cotton and not washing them properly will ruin them."

Before she could answer he vanished out of the now steamy bathroom and came back seconds later and left an emerald green towel on top of the closed toilet lid.

"Who knew that the Gryffindor Princess was hiding a figure like that under those baggy robes. Oh don't worry I can only see a silhouette." He said, the smirk very pronounced in his words.

Embarrassed by his words, she quickly finished up her shower and wrapped herself in the towel he had left for her. Making sure the coast was clear before fully leaving the bathroom, she walked to her room where she dropped the towel, rummaged through her trunk for clean clothes and underwear and started to get dressed.

For some reason, Draco felt compelled to wait for Hermione before walking down to breakfast. Be it the newly forming friendship between them, though the truce they called on the train, the fact that they were head boy and girl, or the news the received last night; he just knew he had to walk to breakfast with her.

Noting the 08:45 time, Hermione muttered a drying spell for her hair and made her way down to the common room. She saw Draco draped over the sofa in front of the fire.

"Are you coming down to breakfast or would you like me to bring you something up?" She asked.

"Errm, I was actually waiting for you, I thought it would make a good impression if people saw us walking to the Great Hall together. You know inter house unity and all." He said feeling quite embarrassed.

"Thats actually a pretty good idea, but don't you think people might talk?"

"They'll get a detention if they do. I'm sure I can get Filch to think of something nasty for them to do, ha!"

"C'mon Draco or we will miss breakfast altogether if we don't get a move on."

"I'll be down in a minute."

"Fine, have it your way then." She swung the portrait open and left for breakfast without him.

He secretly loved how she called him by his first name. It was like he was floating on fluffy clouds and he never wanted to come down. Despite the prejudices he was taught to have, after seeing her with Krum at the Yule Ball in fourth year, he had an admiration. He was never under any doubt that she was beautiful, but because of his father, he was never allowed to even look at her without sneering and calling her a mudblood. He internally shuddered at that name. She was a major part in the take down of the Dark Lord and if wasn't for her, his father wouldn't be rotting, deservedly in Azkaban.

"Draco, come on, there'll be no food left if you stay there daydreaming."

Breakfast would have been an uneventful event had Ginny not come in and ask why Hermione was starting absentmindedly at the wall.

"I'm just mulling over the fact that I'm currently sharing a common room and a bathroom with Draco Malfoy, I have a stupid Life Studies class where I'll probably be paired off with with someone I hate or someone who doesn't challenge me intellectually and I really miss Harry and Ron. The only truth in that being that she really did miss the boys not being here. I'm going back to my dorm, I don't really feel like answering a thousand and one questions on Malfoy. I promise to meet you for lunch though."

"I know it's a lot to take in. Go and take a nap, you should feel better. Im counting on you meeting me for lunch because I don't know where your new common room is yet."

"I guess you're right, I'll see you at lunch." She got up and left the Great Hall knowing full well that she had just told an out and out lie to her best friend.

To say she was slightly nervous was an understatement. No one knew what these new pairings would entail until, well she had forgot to collect her new timetable from Professor McGonagall, so she didn't have a clue. She was so distracted by her conflicting thoughts that she didn't realise that she had knocked over a first year, on her way back to her common room.

"Hermione c'mon, it's only Draco it can't be all that bad, you spent pretty much the entire journey up here here yesterday talking about what he did over the summer. You both put the past behind you and agreed to be civil. But McGonagall said to act normal, does that mean he's going to call me a mudblood again?"

"ARGHH, CAN YOU WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU COULD HAVE BROKEN MY BACK, FALLING INTO ME LIKE THAT!"

"Um I'm so sorry I was in my head a little. Are you O.K?" She asked without lifting her head.

"Barely, you snivelling muggle-born!" She was so horrified by that last comment she barged past the head boy without lifting her head to see that wink and the half smile he flashed her way.

Maybe he hasn't changed, maybe its all just an act, I knew I should never have fell for his 'I'm sorry, I was terrified that Voldemort would kill my mother' spiel, she thought, as she rounded the corner towards the common room entrance.

After clambering through the portrait hole, she collapsed onto the sofa in front of the roaring fire. She was too busy banging her head into one of the cushions, that she didn't here the portrait swing open, and allow Draco Malfoy to enter.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you in here?" Draco called.

"Go away Malfoy!"

'Back to my last name, I'm in trouble', he pondered soundlessly.

She knelt up on the sofa and turned to face him.

"I never should have trusted you, everything you said on the train I should have taken with a pinch of salt."

"Hermione listen to me. If we started acting all nice and friendly to each other right away in front of everyone, the second we stepped off the train, people would get suspicious. They would think one of us has the other under the imperious curse. Given my past history, I don't think we need any guesses as to who they think casted the spell. And lets make a start by easing people into it, we'll try being friendly to each other at the prefects meetings and see how they react. They also need to understand that we live in the same quarters, we have mostly the same lessons as each other and finally, although we technically don't know this yet, we're paired up for this new Life Lessons crap. Also here's your new timetable. I saw that you left breakfast early and I called at the kitchens on the way up here and asked them if they could send something up for you."

Hermiones chest felt like it was getting tighter and tighter. The air around her began became thinner and thinner. The stone walls of the common room were closing in on her. How could he make her feel like she hated him and couldn't trust him one moment and in the next second, she wanted to run up to him and make him make her his.

"I need to go lie down. I'm not feeling well." She spluttered and half ran into her room.

Slamming her door shut, not bothering to lock it, as the wards were in place, she threw herself onto the bed, lowered the lighting in her room and stared at the magically made darker ceiling, just staring into the glinting lights of the faux stars. What on earth had she gotten herself into by returning to school and accepting the post of head girl.

A/N: Thank you again for following this story. When I deleted the original chapters 2 &amp; 3 and changed the rating to K+ from M, I lost basically all of my reads, I went from 1000 and odd to 19. so to make it back up to 49 reads in just a few hours (at the time of writing this note), I feel is pretty darn good.

See y'all in chapter 3 :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: For some reason after posting chapter 2 it didn't update properly and still says it was last updated 22 hours (at the time of writing this note for you). I'm going to try and get chapter 3 done as quick as I can to see if that resolves my issue.

Chapter 3 - One Sentence That Would Be The Subject Of Nightmares.

Monday morning rolled around faster than anyone would have like, especially the 7th years. Their first lesson after breakfast was to be the newly founded Life Studies. Hermione grumbled, rolled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. Once again for the fifth day in a row, Draco was in the bathroom, at the same time Hermione wanted to use it.

"Draco, I'm coming in, I need to brush my teeth and have a wash."

"Gimme a second, I'm nearly finished."

"Hurry up or I'll be late for Life Studies!"

"Stop yelling, the bathrooms all yours."

20 minutes later Hermione was dried, dressed and ready to leave for breakfast.

"Draco c'mon were gonna miss breakfast if you don't hurry up. Urgh boys, they say they're quicker at getting ready, but looks who's ready to leave first."

"Huh? What are you muttering about now?"

"Never mind. Come on we'll miss breakfast is you keep dilly dallying."

"I was just putting the right books and enough parchment and ink in my bag."

* * *

09:05 and everyone was sat in the classroom and waiting for Professor Bumble to enter. The chatter in the room came to a sudden holt when the new Life Studies Professor walked in.

"Morning class. Im Professor Bumble and I am aware that I don't know anyone of you yet at all. Some faces look familiar as per the Daily Prophet, but I'm sure that I will get to know each and everyone of you personally over the coming year. Righto, to start off with, I shall get you partnered up and then tell you exactly just what this class is about. As you are aware there is only 28 of you, so this is a very small class even for a full year group so you will all be seen here every Monday at the same time. I know there are to be some questions before I even announce to you, your partners; there is no swapping your partners and they are yours until the end of the year, you will not be paired with someone in your own house and every partnership has been carefully put together by officers at the ministry and thoroughly reviewed by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

The students gaped open mouthed at her. That was a lot of information to take in by a professor they had met literally 10 minutes beforehand. And they didn't even know who they were paired with yet.

"There will be no arguing and I will just list off the pairs, then questions can be asked." She stated bluntly

"Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott  
Dean Thomas and Pansy Parkinson  
Seamus Finnegan and Mandy Brocklehurst  
Ernie MacMillan and Daphne Greengrass  
Justin Finch-Fletchley and Lavender Brown  
Wayne Hopkins and Eloise Midgen  
Anthony Goldstein and Millicent Bullstrode  
Michael Corner and Fay Dunbar  
Terry Boot and Tracey Davis  
Kevin Entwistle and Susan Bones  
Stephen Cornfoot and Lisa Turpin  
Theodore Nott and Padma Patil  
Blaise Zabini and Parvati Patil  
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

An amass of chatter start around the room that consisted of groans, 'I'm not being partnered with him/her...

"Silence. These partnerships are non-negotiable. Understand. Now this new compulsory lesson has been added as part of your curriculum, by the ministry. It has also fallen under a new law that will be used for the next 10 years, as part of the recovery from the war. The person you are partnered with is the person you will marry and have children with."

"Um, just because she saved me from going to the hell hole they call Azkaban doesn't mean to say I'm ever going to marry the bushy haired bookworm. It's bad enough I've got to share a common room and a bathroom with her while I'm here, but now I've got to marry her. No thanks, Malfoy out." He sneered coldly.

Hermiones heart couldn't help but sink a few inches, and eventhough he had convinced her it was all an act, there was still a small part of her that believed his reaction to be true.

"Now I know that on your timetables that it states you will have an hour lesson every week but each lesson will be used as a drop in session instead. So no you do not have to attend every week. Please all come up to the front in the order that your partnership was called, do not fret the order is written on the board, as I have a pack to hand to each one of you, which will explain about the requirements of the law and the locations and passwords to your living quarters. Once you have this pack you may leave and prepare for your next lesson."

One by one each couple ambled forwards towards Professor Bumbles desk to collect their packs. Slowly but surely it was Draco and Hermiones turn to collect their pack.

They made their way back to their common room, a very awkward silence hung in the air. Hermione being in charge of keeping the thickly packed cream envelope, just double checked the first piece of parchment to see if their password had changed. Draco, oblivious to this just muttered 'Gemigo' and the portrait swing open. After holding the door open for Hermione, he followed her inside, but couldn't hold in the laugh as soon as the portrait swung shut.

"Just what on earth are you laughing at, this is no laughing matter. It's one thing that we share a common room this year but to actually have to be a couple and get married and have babies, is, is, is a pretty serious matter. Especially since we have no choice."

"Mione we're school kids, they cannot force us to get married and produce heirs. Just because they're saying it's a law, they can't actually make a law like that. They can't force two people to do anything they don't want."

Hermione was only half listening to what Draco was saying, she was too busy looking through the parchment that detailed everything to do with the freshly introduced law.

"No, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening. Draco, its basically says that if we don't comply with this new law and follow it within the guidelines then there will be a 'yet to be determined punishment' unless there is extenuating circumstances. A complete refusal to comply will be reflected on the newly formed couple having their magic took away from them and being expelled from the magical world. We have to get married within a year of leaving school and I have to be at least pregnant another year after the wedding. I'm not even 18 yet and I'm already being married off."

"Hey, hey, look at me, right at me. That's right, straight at me. Hey I said on the train that I wanna marry a girl with her own career, her own ambitions and not someone like Pansy or Daphne who would spend all day at home doing nothing or out all day with her girlfriends, spending all my money. You already know that my mother and I want absolutely nothing to do with my fathers shady businesses. I want to be an auror and my mum wants her own high end clothing stores in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Did you know that having her own store was my mothers ambition before my father turned his allegiance to the Dark Lord."

"But I'm the brainy, good for nothing mudblood girl who shouldn't even be here. Why aren't you sending an owl to your father in Azkaban demanding that you be paired with some pure blood girl who will give you pure blood heirs, with names as constellations? Why aren't you flying off the rails at the fact that in less two years we have to be married with a baby on the way?"

"Don't call yourself a mudblood, yes you descend from non-magical heritage, but you are the smartest witch of this age, you beat me at every class we get examined in. If it wasn't for my fathers influence, guided by the Dark Lord, I would have seen years ago that we are the two most compatible students in this whole stupid castle and it even has 300 year old ghosts. Our children will be incredibly good looking and the smartest witches and wizards ever. If my father hadn't have been incarcerated, I'd have been married to Pansy, days after the graduation ceremony, you remember what I said on the train?"

"Yeah of course I remember everything you told me on the train. But I always thought I'd be married to someone I love. I'd have a small simple wedding, Ginny and Luna would be my bridesmaids, my father would give me away, the ring would be small and not flashy and I'd wear a dress that is simple and elegant."

"Honey, you can have most of that, if not all. We're both trying to make the most of a bad situation. Is there anything in that information about divorces?"

"We're not even married and you already want to divorce me!" She exclaimed.

"I meant if you want to divorce me. Theres got to be some sort of loophole you can get through, so you can leave me and marry the weasel."

"It says and I quote, 'for those in an organically formed relationship, the marriage ceremony must take place within 12 months of the youngest person leaving a school education. For those couples who have already left school and are not yet married, a marriage ceremony must take place within 6 months of this law being passed, the female in said relationship must have bore or at minimum be with child. For partnerships wanting to be terminated, said persons must be married for a minimum of 5 years and a minimum of 1 child must have been born.' So basically they're making it hard live a life you want to carve for yourself."

"Do you wanna go and talk to the she-weasel. You also might want to let her know what's going on, so she can make plans with Potter before she gets married off to the Creevey boy with the camera obsession."

"I guess you're right. No offence to him, but I don't think I'd like him as a kind of brother. Also please don't call my best friend 'the she-weasel, you're more than likely going to be spending more time with her now." She said with a wry smile.

As Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor common room, she couldn't help wonder about a life with Malfoy. Where would they live? What would their children be like? How would Ron take the news? Ron, she was so caught up in the news of spending at least 5 years married to Malfoy, she hadn't spared a single thought to her relationship with Ron.

She mumbled the Gryffindor password on request and traipsed her way in. Quickly glancing around the common room she ascertained that Ginny was not there, so she headed for the girls dormitories. Opening the door she was relieve to see Ginny sat on her bed, stroking Arnold the fluffy purple Pygmy Puff.

"Oh, Ginny I've so much that I need to tell you."

Ginny put Arnold back in his pen, summoned an elf to get tea and biscuits and settled back down on her bed.

"So go on then. What's the big news then. Shouldn't you be in lessons.?"

"Not until after lunch on Mondays. Oh. Where do I begin. Firstly we get told that we have a new lesson for this year, which I really was looking forward to. It's called Life Studies. I thought it was going to be preparing us for life outside school, helping us with job applications, but no. The ministry has brought in this new law since a lot of people lost their lives 3 months ago; Everyone gets paired off, then they have to be married by no more 12 months after leaving school and at least to be pregnant by another 12 months after that." Hermione finished saying just as the elf returned.

"So, who have you been put with then?"

"Malfoy, according to the ministry, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape we're perfect for each other."

"But what about Ron. He's going to lose his mind." Ginny butted in.

"Lets not dwell on that now. This is going to happen for years to come. I don't have a choice now but to marry Malfoy but you still have time to get Harry. I've heard there's a Hogsmeade trip coming up soon, lets get a message to Harry and Ron and we'll meet them in the Three Broomsticks and talk it over. Just make sure that you get your guy before you get paired with someone like Colin Creepy. Not that he's not a nice guy, but I need you to stay my sister-in-law Gin."

"As soon as I find out when the trip is, I'll let you know. In the meantime owl Harry and tell him what's going on. I'll send a letter to Ron. I better get back to the common room before Draco goes back on his word.

"Draco now is it?"

"We're putting the past aside for the sake of what's coming. It's a long story, I'll get into it another time. I'll see you at lunch."

A/N: I imagine Professor Bumble to look someone like Emily Wickersham but with a voice like Miranda Harts. I think I'm going to try and get a new chapter out to you all on a Thursday unless something drastic happens.


End file.
